


Night Life

by HollyLyn1217



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: First Times, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-11 06:10:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/794755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HollyLyn1217/pseuds/HollyLyn1217
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ellison gets suspicious when Sandburg keeps disappearing on a regular basis.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Night Life

**Author's Note:**

> Okay ... deep breath. Hi. I'm about to de-lurk in a

Night Life

*big* way. I've been enjoying the Sentinel lists since late January and have posted privately to some when I felt I had comments worth mentioning but have mostly stayed on the sidelines trying to get a feel for what is to me still a new area (e-mail, not fandom! ;) ). This is my first 'original' slash story and the first thing I've felt was worthy of sharing with others in over two years. I am nervous as heck about posting for the first time but welcome comments and especially encouragement to continue on with what I'm trying to do. My heartfelt thanks go out to Sharon G. and Colette B. for their confidence in my work and their encouragement to post this thing in the first place. And, now, before I lose all of the guts I managed to work up, here it is. I hope you enjoy what I've tried to do here! 

Disclaimer: The characters of Jim Ellison and Blair Sandburg belong to Pet Fly and UPN. No copyright infringement is intended. 

Publication date 4-26-97. 

## Night Life

by Holly Lyn  


"Don't wait up for me tonight, man. It's gonna be another late one," Blair Sandburg said tossing a cheery wave as he left the loft he shared with Detective Jim Ellison. 

"Not this time, Chief," Ellison muttered under his breath and grabbed his jacket. After two months of watching his roommate disappear several nights a week only to come home after midnight with the smell of stale cigarette smoke reeking from his hair and clothes, Jim's curiosity had finally gotten the better of him. He waited until he heard Blair pull open the front door to their building before rushing down the stairs and out into the street. To his intense relief, Sandburg was strolling down the sidewalk instead of jumping into his Corvair. It would be much easier to follow him this way than trying to play tag through the Friday night traffic. 

To Ellison's surprise, Blair went down an ill lit alley and gained entrance to a tiny club via the back entrance. After waiting a few minutes to make sure his friend wouldn't be making a sudden return to the alley, Jim walked up and looked at the sign next to the door: *Hiphugger's*: "EMPLOYEES AND ENTERTAINMENT ONLY -- ALL OTHERS PLEASE USE FRONT DOOR". *What the hell?* Ellison frowned. He knew Sandburg was strapped for cash most of the time; a teaching fellow's salary was nowhere near enough for an enterprising young man to live on. But Blair usually got home hyped up and in a fantastic mood which could not be accounted for if he was spending hours on his feet handing drink after drink to drunken punks and hookers out looking for their next trick. There had to be something else going on here. 

Jim sighed. If he was going to get to the bottom of this mystery he was going to have to bite the bullet and go inside. Hiphugger's turned out to be the name of the establishment from the signs hanging around the front door. They also advertised live music. "Terrific," Jim groaned. "And I left my earplugs back in the loft." He pushed the door open and walked inside, dropping the $5.00 cover charge in the hand of the bored looking girl on the front register. 

Surprise won out again as Jim realized he wasn't going to look as out of place as he feared inside the club. The patrons ranged in age from college students to his own age bracket and even a few up into their 40's and 50's. The decor was a retrospective nightmare mixture of the 50's, 60's and 70's. Neon clashed with tie-dye wall hangings and psychedelic black light posters of bands who had mostly departed the music scene in one way or another. Lava lamps lit every table with a fluid, eerie glow and one of those gigantic glittering balls hung from the ceiling over the stage casting weird light patterns as it turned and swayed gently in the breeze from the ventilation system. 

Jim used his enhanced sight to peer into every dark nook and corner of the club, searching for Blair to no avail. He wasn't behind the bar either, but maybe he just hadn't gone on duty yet. Putting a theory he had into practice, Ellison focused his hearing on the heartbeats of the people inside the building. He was almost positive he'd be able to pick Blair's out of a crowd but there was too much background noise for him to filter out between the laughter and chatter of the customers and the music which was coming out of the speakers at a level just above that of the conversations. With no answer to the mystery yet, Ellison turned the dial on his hearing down below normal levels not wanting to shatter his ear drums when the music got suddenly louder or the promised band came on stage. 

Scoping out a seat at the far end of the bar, Jim made his way to it and ordered a beer. The young woman behind the bar was dressed like a sixties flower child complete with iridescent eye make-up and glow in the dark flowers painted on her face. She eyed Jim speculatively as she brought him his beer. "You're new here," she stated. 

"Yup," Jim agreed and took a pull on his beer. 

"You're in for a treat then. The band that's playing tonight has been bringing crowds in here each time they've played for the past few weeks. They're really terrific and the lead singer is just dreamy!" 

"When are they going to come on?" 

"Soon as they get set up. Just let me know when you want a refill, okay?" Ellison nodded and she moved down the bar to serve another newcomer. 

Ellison continued to look around the bar hoping for a glimpse of his wayward anthropologist to no avail. The only areas he couldn't see were the curtained off stage and the tiny kitchen which was producing decent looking baskets of hot appetizers. He could hear mumbles and occasional twangs and bangs emanating from behind the stage curtain but didn't think he'd be too welcomed if he wandered up and interrupted the musicians while they were trying to set up. 

As the minutes passed by, Jim was aware of a heightening sense of anticipation, especially among the female members of the crowd. They were surreptitiously edging their chairs closer to the low stage and whispering and giggling to each other under their breaths. Ellison started to grin in anticipation of a fun show from the spectators if not from the band itself. 

The house lights finally dimmed and a tiny spot light hit the microphone at the center of the stage. An older man, presumably the owner of the club, appeared and rubbed his hands together as he looked out over the assembled crowd. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Before the show starts, I want to again caution you to keep back from the stage area. As always, the band will be coming out to talk with you after the show so you'll get your chance at them soon enough. All we ask is that you don't damage the musicians; we want them to keep coming back and giving us the kind of entertainment that Hiphugger's is proud to bring you! And without further ado, Hiphugger's is pleased to present that hot new band you've all heard so much about ..... Obfuscation!" 

Jim nearly snorted beer through his nose at the band's name. *Oh my god! It couldn't be* ... The curtains parted as the house lights completely blacked out and even Jim's hyper sight couldn't pick out anything clearly from the jumble of equipment, instruments, and people on the stage. Before the stage lights kicked in, the band's drummer began to pick out a faux-reggae beat the Jim recognized immediately as the opening to Led Zeppelin's *D'Yer Maker* and as the instruments joined in the beat the lights came blazing on to reveal Blair Sandburg at center stage with a bass guitar slung low on his hips. Blair tossed his long hair out of his face and stepped up to the mike to take the lead vocals, clearly loving every second of what he was doing. The girls who had scooted closer to the stage were bouncing in their seats and waving to him every time he made eye contact with one of them. 

Stunned didn't come anywhere near to explaining the way Ellison was feeling as he watched his loft mate strut around the small stage as if he'd been born there. He didn't even really resemble the mild mannered Sandburg who'd left the loft such a short time ago. His black jeans were either new or newly washed to be clinging so tightly to his hips and legs. Under the leather jacket he'd been wearing had been a shirt Jim had never seen made of satin in a shiny turquoise which accentuated his bright blue eyes. The shirt was opened halfway down his chest revealing a hairy, lightly tanned expanse of skin that was already sheened with a light film of perspiration from the heat of the lights. 

The song ended and as Blair focused his attention on the audience, Jim pressed himself back further into the dark recess where he was sitting, not wanting Sandburg to know he'd been followed. The last thing Jim wanted to do was upset Blair's concentration before he found out what other hidden talents the young man possessed. 

Blair chatted easily with the crowd, thanking them for coming out to see the band and told them to sit back and have fun as they continued on with their show. During the next hour and a half, Obfuscation showed their dynamic range of styles by playing everything from Elvis to Alice Cooper with stops along the way at old favorites like The Beatles, Boston, Jefferson Airplane, The Eagles, The Who, and Aerosmith. To Jim's delight they even did justice to a Santana song. Fast and slow numbers alike. There was no doubt as to which songs were the favorites of the females in the crowd. It was as if Blair sang every love song to each of them individually and Jim could feel the temperature in the room escalate every time Sandburg gazed out at their faces. The musicians had obvious talent. Several times during their set they switched off instruments and Ellison could only watch in amazement as Blair made a decent showing on the drums and keyboards when he took his turn with them. 

Before Jim knew it the band was taking its final bow and the house lights were coming up. The audience was still roaring it's approval as the musicians stepped off the stage to be greeted warmly by their adoring fans. He signaled to the bartender and said, "Whatever their favorite is, I'm buying a round for the band. Can you take it over to them and let them know who it came from?" 

"No problem," she smiled and accepted a generous tip along with the money for the drinks. 

Jim watched as she delivered the drinks to the members of the band and pointed him out as their benefactor. Blair's eyes widened in astonishment as he saw who it was and he excused himself to make his way through the crowd to Jim's secluded corner of the bar. He stopped several feet away and spread his hands out, a look of embarrassed pride on his face. "So - uh - *what* are you doing here, man?" 

"I got curious," Jim admitted. 

"You followed me." 

Jim ducked his head a little. "Come on, Sandburg. The late hours ... The smell of cigarettes ..." 

"So you followed me," Blair's mouth twitched in a half smile and he bounced on the balls of his feet. 

Ellison relaxed. He was relieved that his prying had been taken in the spirit it was intended. Blair seemed quite happy to have him there. No. Happy was not the word he was looking for. Blair was.... incandescent. His heart rate and body temperature were soaring. His face was glowing in the aftermath of the elation he must have been feeling during the performance. And his eyes. Jim stopped. What was he seeing in Blair's oh-so-expressive eyes? He shook his head and realized Blair was waiting for an answer to a question he hadn't heard. "Huh?" he asked feeling foolish. 

Blair ran a hand through his hair and licked his lips, "So, like, what did you think?" he asked. 

Jim's throat went dry. Did he just hear what he thought he heard? The huskiness in Sandburg's voice could be attributed to the vocal acrobatics he'd performed on stage but the last time Jim heard that particular tone, Blair had been on the phone making a date with Emily. He unconsciously licked his lips in response and felt Blair's body temperature go up another notch. No, he hadn't been imagining it. "You were really something up there," Jim finally responded lowering his own voice and shooting a smoldering look of his own at his loft mate. 

Blair inhaled sharply and his irises dilated leaving only a ring of blue around black velvet. He cleared his throat, "Thanks, man." He took a step toward Jim and stopped. His hand was shaking a little as he raked it through his hair again. "You - ah - wanna come over and meet the rest of the guys?" 

Giving his watch a quick glance Jim shook his head. "The smoke's starting to get to me, Chief. I should probably head home." 

"I've got to be here at least another hour to help break down the equipment," Blair said, visibly trying to bring himself under control. 

Jim stood up slowly, "Tell ya what. I know you didn't have dinner tonight. How about I go home and whip up something light. Have it ready when you get there?" Blair's stomach rumbled loud enough to be heard over the crowd noise. Laughing, Jim said, "I'll take that as a yes!" He slapped Blair's shoulder in passing, "You really did good tonight, Chief." 

Blair nodded and rejoined his band mates but Ellison felt his eyes following him all the way out the door.  
  


* * *

  


Jim shut the door to the loft and leaned against it willing his body to calm down. In his state of arousal the short walk home from the club had been excruciating and the climb up three flights of stairs nothing short of torture. *A shower*, Jim thought, *a nice relaxing* *shower*. His cock throbbed heavily against the constriction of his jeans. *Okay. A *cold* shower.* But there was no way he was going to climb up the stairs to his own bathroom in his present condition. Hanging his jacket on the rack he made his awkward way down the short hallway to Blair's bathroom. 

As he ducked his head under the water, Jim's mind was racing. *What the hell was going on? Why Blair? Why now?* After all, they'd been living together for almost two years now. He thought back to watching Blair on the stage. Every gesture had had an underlying sensuality from the twitch of his hips as he moved around the stage to the pursing of his full lips as he smiled out to the audience. Jim's penis lifted at the memory of Blair's sultry, heavy-lidded gaze as he felt every beat of the music deep inside his soul. 

Shaking his head to clear away the visual, Jim let his mind veer off in another direction. *Am I really going to go through with this? To have sex with another man? With Blair?* Jim's cock jumped. *My *body* certainly thinks I am*. Jim reached for the herbal scented soap and began to work up a rich lather. *And what about Blair? Now that he's had a little time to think this over and calm down is he going to pretend it didn't happen?* That thought brought Jim up short. If he wasn't going to put Sandburg off permanently he was going to have to tread carefully and not spook him until he was certain of the direction this evening was going to proceed. Unbidden the sight of Blair as he'd looked when Jim was leaving came back to him. The sensual appraisal as Ellison had crossed the smoky room to the door; the feel of those incredible eyes boring into his back. His shaft pulsed again and a burst of warmth exploded in his stomach, spreading outward and leaving an aching need in it's wake. 

Jim exhaled shakily and turned the water temperature down a little. His soapy hands began a soft caressing motion from his shoulders, across his pectorals and down to his thighs. His sex was aching painfully after having been denied release for so long. One hand drifted back up to tweak his own nipples as the other began a smooth stroking motion from the root to the tip of his penis. He leaned against the wall and it was easy to imagine that the hand on his chest was Sandburg's and the wet stroking on his cock was the gentle suckling of Blair's lips and tongue as it swirled over the blindly seeking organ. The stinging drops of water on Jim's over-sensitized skin was the last straw to the sensory overload and he gasped as he came, locking his knees to avoid sliding down the wall. 

Bringing himself quickly under control, Jim finished rinsing himself off and stepped out of the shower. He felt a thousand times better and at least now he'd have some semblance of control. Jumping Sandburg the minute he walked through the door was no longer a necessity. He wrapped a towel around his waist and padded into the kitchen to start water boiling for the pasta before heading upstairs for sweats and a T-shirt. 

The table was set, a tape of Blair's favorite Celtic music was playing in the background and Jim was just about ready to start tossing the pasta salad together when Sandburg breezed through the door. Ellison watched out of the corner of his eye as Blair hung his jacket up and tossed his house keys into the wicker basket on the table by the door. He looked much as he had every other evening he'd come home after a gig and Jim began to wonder if he'd imagined what had happened in the club after all. 

Blair wandered over and placed both hands on the counter top. "Is all of this for me, man?" he asked, a little sultry, a lot unsure, as he indicated the nicely set table and waved his hand in the vague direction of the stereo. His eyes still burned with a trace of the hunger Jim had seen at the club and his hand trembled with pent up tension as he pushed lank curls off of his forehead. 

"You put in a lot of hard work tonight, Chief," Jim answered. "I thought this might help you ... relax." He deliberately dropped his voice to a low purr on the last word and was secretly amused by the erratic increase in Blair's pulse and respiration. 

Blair swallowed audibly. "Thanks, Jim. This is great. Um ... do I have time to take a shower? Get cleaned up a little?" 

Jim nodded. "I still have to put the salad together. Go for it." He waited until Blair was ready to step into the bathroom before he added, "I put some of my clean towels in there for you since I used yours earlier." 

Closing and locking the door behind him Blair could not get his breathing to slow down and his heart felt like it was about to explode from his chest. The thought of a naked, wet Jim Ellison standing in this room sent his mind into overdrive. *What the *hell* was going on? We're skirting around each other like tomcats on heat! Gods! I've never even *thought* about turning on to another guy before and I'm ready to jump down his pants at the slightest provocation.* He shed his clothing quickly, stepped under the stream of lukewarm water, and reached for his shampoo. 

Turning to let the water sluice down his back Blair lathered his hair, scrubbing furiously to get rid of the smell of cigarettes. The soapy residue rinsed away easily, leaving trails of bubbles lingering on his back and between his buttocks. The feeling was extremely arousing and Blair gave in to the sensations. He turned his face toward the stream of water and closed his eyes likening the droplets to hundreds of tiny fingers caressing him. Keeping his eyes closed, Blair brought his right hand up to run a feather-light finger tip over his lower lip, down his chin, and into the hollow of his throat. His breath caught and his pulse thundered in his ears as his cock lifted away from the heaviness of his balls. He gasped and tossed his head back to move clinging tendrils of hair away from his face. As his right hand moved into the softness of chest hair, his left drifted across his body sliding a delicious thrill of spider feet dancing across the silky skin of his lower abdomen. 

Blair moaned as the sensations overwhelmed him and his legs folded sending him to his knees in the well of the shower. His right hand found the tiny gold ring threaded through his left nipple and gave a gentle tug. Suddenly it was Jim nibbling and biting at his breast, Jim's hand threading around his groin and cupping his balls in those strong, capable hands. Jim stroked his shaft with just the right amount of pressure to bring him to boiling point. 

In the midst of the sensual haze Blair realized just why Jim had been in his shower earlier. Thoughts of Jim standing right here relieving his own pent up steam sent Blair rocketing over the edge. His hips jerked once, twice and he groaned as the urgency inside him finally eased to a more tolerable level. 

The running water quickly rinsed away the evidence of what he had done and eased the remaining tension from his limbs. Using the wall-mounted soap dish, Blair managed to climb unsteadily out of the shower and shut the water off. He was still gasping for air and the soft brush of Jim's huge fluffy bath towel on his over-stimulated skin was sending mini aftershocks thrumming through him. Blair took a deep breath before knotting the towel around his waist and grabbing his comb; he wanted to make sure he had himself under control before he left his temporary refuge. Peering at his reflection in the clearing mirror, he set about the task of detangling his curls.  
  


* * *

  


Ellison unclamped his fingers from the edge of the counter top and shook his hands to restore the circulation. He hadn't really *meant* to listen in on Blair's shower but he was just so attuned to the younger man tonight that he couldn't help it. He'd tried to ignore the sounds of water smacking into bare flesh and the rub of Blair's feet against the porcelain tub. The soft gasps and moans threaded their way through his consciousness and the breathy cry of completion had slammed into him like a brick wall. And he'd been afraid that Sandburg had changed his mind between the club and the loft? It seemed that neither of them was ready or willing to back down from the challenge which had been issued and accepted by both. 

The bathroom door opened and Jim made a point of not watching as Blair pattered across the hall to his room and closed the door. If he was going to make it through the evening without resorting to caveman tactics he couldn't afford another loss of control. He placed the pasta salad on the table and busied himself building up a fire determined to have his shaking hands and thundering heart calmed down before Blair reappeared.  
  


* * *

  


Blair finished tucking his new sapphire blue T-shirt into his sweat pants and sat on the edge of his bed. He rubbed his hands over his freshly shaven jaw and took a deep breath. Then he closed his eyes and took several more. *I am relaxed ... I am relaxed ... I am relaxed ...* The butterflies in his stomach settled back down and he opened his eyes feeling about as calm as he thought he could be given the circumstances. 

Taking yet one more deep breath Blair tucked a wayward curl behind his ear and padded barefoot into the living room. Jim was busy poking around in the wood burning stove. "Go ahead and sit down, Chief," he called over his shoulder. "I'm about done here." 

"Can I help with anything?" 

"Nope. It's all ready. Sit yourself down and dig in." 

Blair nodded and began portioning out the pasta salad once he was seated. Jim closed the front grate on the stove and rinsed his hands in the sink before he joined Blair at the table. 

The feeling at dinner was an odd mixture of first date nerves and complete certainty in each other's desires. Conversation was unnecessary and minimal. Food was tasted, savored, and complimented. Their hands accidentally bumped as both men reached for the pepper grinder at the same time. At the touch Jim smiled apologetically and Blair blushed shyly. Eye contact was made and held for long, timeless moments. 

Blair finished first and started to clear his dishes. Jim stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Not tonight, Blair. I'll do everything." 

"Everything?" Blair teased. To his utter delight Jim's neck and ears flushed crimson. 

Picking up his own dishes, Jim pushed away from the table and grabbed Blair's plate on his way to the kitchen. He deposited the dirty dishes in the sink, poured in the dish liquid, and turned the water on. Blair brought the rest of the cutlery in and added them to the rapidly sudsing pile. Jim grabbed a handful of soap bubbles and dabbed them on Blair's nose. "Get out of the kitchen, Blair, and enjoy this while you can," he grinned. "These 'blue light specials' aren't going to happen very often." 

Blair wiped the suds off his nose and retreated to the living room, choosing to stand by one of the balcony doors. He stared out at the newly falling rain; the quiet patter combined with the soft Celtic music still issuing from the stereo speakers wove a spell of peace and contentment around him. He began to smile while he watched Jim reflected in the glass, cleaning up the dining room and kitchen with such concentration that Blair knew he was doing it deliberately to keep his mind off of other things. 

Closing his eyes, Blair let himself sway slightly in time with the music. He began to breathe in the rhythm which always soothed him only now, instead of having it's normal soporific effect, the breathing enhanced the sensual feelings he had been experiencing all evening. The air currents in the loft became a lover's fingers whispering over his arms, raising goosebumps in their wake. He inhaled deeply and let the breath amble through his entire body, easing away all doubts about what he was contemplating doing with Jim. He was completely at peace. 

Jim finished the dishes and turned to wipe the counter down one final time. His breath caught in his throat as he caught sight of Blair framed in the glass doorway, moving to the sound of the music. He used his heightened senses to focus in on his loft mate and heard the quiet beat of his heart and the susurration of his breath in the meditation pattern Blair had so patiently been teaching him. Using the reflection of the glass, Jim saw Blair's mouth open slightly and watched as a pink tongue tip flicked out briefly to lick at dry lips. He could even see the slow, even pulse in the hollow of Blair's throat. 

The counter top was forgotten as Jim silently crossed the room to stand behind his ... loft mate ... partner ... friend ... *lover?* The last not yet but, hopefully, soon to be. He felt Blair start just a little as he pressed in close behind him and began to run his fingers up and down the younger man's arms, raising even more goosebumps. He ran his hands down Blair's arms one final time and entwined their fingers together as he enfolded Blair in a double hug and rested his nose in Blair's clean smelling curls. 

"Mmmmmmmn," Blair purred deep in his throat. "This is nice, Jim." He began to sway again, taking Jim along for the gentle ride. Jim inhaled deeply and nosed his way through Blair's hair finding the tender skin behind Sandburg's left ear with his soft exhalation. 

Blair shivered and squirmed in Jim's embrace. He tilted his head back and shuddered as Ellison's lips feathered down the exposed line of his throat and up his jaw line. Jim's tongue was doing wonderful things to his ear lobe as it twisted and played with the twin hoop earrings and Blair knew that the only thing keeping him on his feet was the strong circle of Jim's muscular arms. 

Wanting to do more, Blair tried to free his hands but Jim held on tighter and nibbled both of his eyelids, his nose, and a too brief nuzzle on his lips. A whimper escaped from the younger man's throat; he had never been cherished like this by *any* of his previous lovers. His eyes were still closed as he finally managed to turn in the embrace, wrap his own arms around Jim's neck, and pull him into a tender, if somewhat chaste, first kiss. 

It was Jim's turn to whimper as he felt the heat of Blair's body molding itself to him. Blair's lips were everywhere, marking him slightly behind his right ear, nipping at his throat, sucking on one hardened nipple through his T-shirt. 

Jim threaded his hands through Blair's curls and gently pulled his mouth away from its maddening assault on his chest. Blair's eyes opened and Ellison felt the breath leave his body in one gigantic whoosh. Blair's eyes were smoky blue with passion and bored into his own with laser intensity as if they could see into the depths of his soul. "God, Blair," Jim panted and brought his mouth down to cover Blair's. He felt Blair's hands clutching desperately at his T-shirt and tightened his hold as the smaller man's knees finally gave way under his determined attack. Blair moaned into the kiss and Jim flicked his tongue through the parted lips, finding and dueling with Blair's tongue before enticing it to follow back into his own mouth. 

Without breaking the kiss, Ellison slid his hands down to cup Blair's thighs and lifted him off of the floor heading toward the sofa. Blair wound his legs around Jim's hips and shifted to help him keep his balance as they moved. Jim settled himself carefully on the couch with Blair straddling him and they finally broke the steamy kiss to come up for air. 

Jim's breath hissed through his teeth as Blair dropped his head and latched on to the other cotton covered nipple. The wet warmth of that mobile mouth combined with the rough texture of the fabric came close to overloading Jim's sense of touch. A bolt of pure lust ripped through Ellison as Blair moaned and thrust his pelvis against his lap. He groaned; the kid was almost there. If they didn't slow this down it was all going to be over way too soon. He detached Sandburg a second time. "Blair. Wait." 

Grabbing Jim's lower lip gently between his teeth, Blair sucked on it then slowly released it. His eyes fluttered open. "Jim? What's wrong?" his voice was rough with pent up arousal. 

"Nothing's wrong, Chief. I just thought we might want to move this upstairs. Get a little more comfortable. Okay? Can you make it?" 

Blair's chest heaved as he took several breaths. He nodded and got shakily to his feet. Jim laced their fingers together and Blair followed as they climbed the stairs to the bedroom. 

Jim released Blair's hand to pull the bedspread down. The light from downstairs cast a dim glow; he turned and gasped at the sight of Blair standing at the head of the stairs. The back lighting was creating a fiery nimbus of color around his hair and threw intriguing shadows across the planes of his face. Two strides took him over to Blair and he covered the passion bruised lips with soft butterfly kisses. 

Blair didn't know how much more of this he could stand. He'd been so close to coming down on the sofa with his groin grinding into Jim's. Now this gentleness threatened to send him over the edge and he wasn't sure he was ready. It was his turn to call a halt to the proceedings. "Jim," he panted, mentally grasping for sanity. "Are you gonna be okay with this, man? I mean, I've never done anything like this before but I don't have a problem here." He ran a trembling hand through his disordered hair. "I guess what I'm trying to ask is are *we* gonna be okay?" 

"Sandburg, you talk too much," Jim pulled Blair's T-shirt free of his sweat pants and yanked it over his head. He began to run feathery finger-tip caresses down the soft skin of Blair's stomach. 

His nipples tightened and Blair felt a pinch from the tiny gold ring in his left breast. The sensation caused a shiver to pass through his entire body but he resisted the urge to give in to the feelings. He grabbed Jim's hands and squeezed them hard to get his attention. "Jim! This is *important*, man. We both want this to happen but I need to know that it's not going to ruin what we already have." 

Ellison looked at the hands clenched tightly around his own and forced a measure of control to return. He squeezed back and looked into deep midnight pools of blue as he said, "I won't say that this won't change anything between us because I'd be lying but I truly believe this will make us stronger ..." Jim paused briefly and came to a decision. Sandburg was right. This was important. There could be no doubts between them. "You're always asking me to trust you and I have. I do. Almost implicitly. Now I want you to trust me. Whatever happens, whatever changes we are going to have to face, we'll face them the same way we always have. Together. Okay, Chief?" 

Blair offered no resistance as Jim stuck two fingers inside the waistband of his sweats and pulled him closer to the bed. His stomach muscles twitched involuntarily at the contrast of the heat from the fingers and the chill of the air. As Jim sat on the edge of the bed, Blair moved to stand between his spread thighs and ran his hands over the close cropped hair. It was like silk and for a brief moment he wished there was enough of it to run his fingers through. 

All coherent thought left him as Jim tongued his navel and reached up to pinch his sensitive nipples. "Ah, Gods!" he whimpered feeling his cock harden further against the soft fabric of the sweat pants. Ellison smiled and tongued his way up the dark line of hair running down his sternum to bite his left nipple and pull on the gold ring. "Ji-i-i-im!" Blair came explosively and his knees buckled as he felt the spread of warm wetness against his groin. 

Jim caught Blair as he started to fall and eased him on to the bed lying on his back. He gently stroked the soft hair between Blair's pectoral muscles as the younger man got his breath and some semblance of control back. He was slightly amused by his Guide's reactions to such low key stimulation and somewhat overwhelmed that he had caused them to happen. 

Blair's respiration and heartbeat were finally evening out. Jim brushed his lips across the sweaty forehead and kissed Blair's half-closed eyelids. "You okay, babe?" 

A smile spread slowly across Sandburg's full lips, "I'm more than okay, man," he murmured. "Feel a little sticky though." He leaned up on his elbows and grimaced at the wet spot on the front of his pants. 

Pushing Blair down on the mattress Jim nuzzled his new lover's lips and scooted off the bed. "Let me take care of that for you," he offered and disappeared into his bathroom. Returning with a washcloth, Jim stripped Blair's sweat pants off in one smooth pull and ran the warm, damp cloth over Blair's still sensitive groin. He chuckled as Blair quivered in reaction, "And I thought *I* was the extra touchy-feely one, here. You always this quick off the mark, Chief?" He dropped the cloth on top of Blair's discarded sweats and sat on the edge of the bed. 

A rosy blush stained Sandburg's cheeks. "That was *not* normal, man," he said emphatically. "There was no way you could know what would happen if you tugged on the nipple ring like that." 

"I'll have to keep that in mind next time you give me grief," Jim teased. Blair shot him a baleful look. Ellison smoothed his hands over Blair's softly furred chest taking great care to stay away from the tiny, puckered buds. He gave in to curiosity and asked, "If that reaction wasn't normal, how do you keep it from happening all the time? For, uh, future reference, of course." 

Blair arched his chest into the gentle massage and began running his hands up and down Ellison's forearms. "I usually take the nipple ring out before I sleep with someone. Unless it's for something or someone special. The feeling is just *way* too intense and I'd rather not have it become commonplace or ordinary by using it all the time." 

Jim was taken aback by the confession. "Do you, ah, want to take it off then? Before we continue, I mean ... uh, that is, if we're going to continue?" *God what a time to start babbling like an idiot.* Jim cringed and looked down to see Blair's face alight with delight at his predicament and something else ... *Love???* 

"It's okay, Jim. I'd rather leave it on. For you." Blair tugged on the bottom of Jim's T-shirt. "Don't you think you're a little overdressed for the occasion, man?" 

Ellison clambered off the bed and removed his clothes as quickly as he could. Before he could join Blair on the mattress, his Guide was kneeling on the covers and had latched his mouth onto Jim's newly revealed nipples, laving them with a moist tongue and biting gently to increase the stimulation. Jim tried to concentrate on something other than the stinging sensation in first one tit then the other. Blair's chest hair was silky against the smooth skin of his stomach and he could feel his erection rubbing against the arrow of hair leading down to Blair's firming cock. 

To his surprise, Blair manhandled him around and twisted so that Jim landed on his back in the middle of the bed with Sandburg straddling his hips. Jim got two handfuls of luxuriant brown curls and pulled the younger man into another mind blowing kiss. 

Jim opened his senses and reveled in the smell of Blair's musk, their perspiration and a lingering trace of cigarette smoke wafting faintly from the younger man's slightly damp hair. Blair tasted of pasta salad and coffee as Jim explored every corner of the generous mouth and allowed his lover to reciprocate. A velvety hot tongue lapped at his lips before Blair tickled the roof of his mouth and drew his head away for a gulp of air. 

Talented hands were kneading his chest like a kitten and Jim arched off the mattress into the caress. Blair leaned forward and grazed his mouth lightly over the stubble on Jim's jaw as his hips began to undulate. The sweet friction of their groins rubbing together frissoned along all of Jim's nerve endings and Jim met every downward thrust of Blair's with an upward one of his own driving himself closer and closer to the brink. 

Blair's hands and lips felt like they were everywhere and Jim moaned as sensation built on top of sensation. Silky strands of hair brushed over his painfully erect nipples; Jim gasped and grabbed Blair's biceps in a bruising hold. A grimace of pain crossed his young lover's face and Jim tenderly rubbed at the red marks. His hands strayed over the smooth muscles of Blair's back and down to cup the rapidly flexing muscles of Blair's buttocks. 

Pulling down to increase the pressure a little more, Jim thrust once, twice, three times and he was there. Spreading warmth and slickness accompanied a heavy feeling of lassitude and Jim was only distantly aware of his hands falling to the mattress and his own rapid breathing and heartbeat. 

"Jim? Jim?! Oh gods, man, don't zone out on me now!" 

Jim opened his eyes at the desperation and edge of pain he heard in Blair's voice. He was confused for a moment. He was in his own bed, feeling relaxed and quite content, yet Blair was leaning over him a look of worry and ... frustration? ... on his expressive face. Blair shifted his weight slightly and Jim felt Blair's erection poking into his stomach. It all flooded back to him: he'd zoned out after his own orgasm and left Blair hanging. He reached up and caressed Blair's sweat-soaked chest. "I'm so sorry, baby ... I'm sorry ..." he mumbled. 

Pushing his own hips off the bed, Jim encouraged Blair to resume his undulations. Blair complied but after a few moments it was obvious he was having a problem. Every exhalation ended in a whimper of pain and tears of frustration were building in the young Guide's eyes. Having already come twice and then stalling his third release to bring Jim out of his zone out, his body was punishing him by not granting him the relief he so badly wanted ... *needed.* 

Blair's thrusts were becoming more erratic. He threw his head back and closed his eyes in concentration. Jim knew he had to do something to help so he reached down between their bodies to take Blair's shaft in a strong, sure grip. Blair's eyes snapped open in surprise and he growled deep in his throat. "Harder," he rasped out, "do it harder, Jim!" he pleaded, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes now. 

Jim's left hand traveled up Blair's heaving torso and gently pulled him down. Wriggling a bit, he managed to get his head into position at Blair's chest. There was one more thing he could do to help his friend. Blair was totally oblivious to anything but his body's overwhelming need for release. *His own personal zone out.* Jim swooped in and latched on to the nipple ring giving it one sharp tug and a twist. Blair screamed as he exploded over Jim's hand and chest and collapsed in an ungainly sprawl. 

Smugness turned to alarm when Jim realized his lover wasn't moving. "Blair? Come on, babe, what's wrong?" His ears picked up the thundering heartbeat and too rapid respiration but there was no evidence of damage or distress. *Just passed out. What a relief.* Jim cradled Blair's head as he rolled his Guide over on to his back and deposited him gently on the bed. 

Jim snuggled in close to Blair's side and rested one hand over his lover's pounding heart while he pulled the blankets up over their rapidly cooling skin. He had a lot of information and feelings to process and since it didn't look like he was going anywhere for a while he might as well get started. 

He'd been completely honest with Blair when he'd told the younger man they were going to have to trust each other in this new phase of their relationship. They were also going to have to be open about what they were feeling to avoid hurting each other. Had the fleeting expression he'd seen on Sandburg's face been love? Or had he just seen what he thought he wanted to see? 

And how the hell had this escalated so quickly? It was one huge leap from watching Blair perform on stage to the passionate love making they'd just shared. Or had this been building quietly for some time with Blair's performance being the final catalyst that pushed them over the edge? Jim smiled to himself; he and Sandburg were definitely going to have a long talk when the anthropologist was up to it. 

Jim stroked a hand down Blair's sensitive belly and felt the muscles above his groin still spasming in reaction to his final, violent orgasm. Blair's breathing and heartbeat had settled back down and his face was relaxed and at peace; the center of a halo of dark curls spread across the pillow. 

A tingling warmth spread from the center of Ellison's chest to encompass his whole being: body, heart, and mind. Blair had said he was all right with what they were doing ... had done ... were going to keep on doing? Had he understood when Jim tried to respond in kind only in a more roundabout way? At the time even Jim wasn't sure he understood what he was trying to tell the kid. 

Leaning up, Ellison nuzzled Blair's lips, his eyes, the tip of his nose. Of all the improbable things James Ellison had had happen to him in his life, falling in love with another man had never even been a consideration. Yet, here he was cuddling a wiry, hairy, wholly male man and hoping that the feelings would be reciprocated. 

Blair inhaled a little more deeply and Jim found himself gazing down into drowsy midnight blue eyes. "You okay, big guy?" Blair slurred tiredly and trailed a fingertip caress over Jim's cheek and jaw. 

Jim teased the pouting lower lip with his tongue and felt a smile spread across his lover's face. The sleepy eyes were content and shone with ... love! Jim was positive. "I'm fine, lover," he whispered past a growing lump in his throat. "Just fine. You?" 

Blair sighed and draped himself over Jim's larger frame, one arm loosely hugging Jim's muscled chest. "Couldn't be better," he mumbled and went completely limp again. Ellison could feel the soft eyelashes brush slowly up and down a few times before they closed. He began to relax himself and was just on the verge of sleep when his Sentinel hearing picked up one final sigh from his exhausted partner, "Love you, Jim..." 

* * *

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